Spin doctor gets her phone numbers in a twist

Sometimes even press officers get their wires crossed, as a recent party thrown by the Brussels consultancy Gplus proved.

During the event, one female Labour spinner launched a vociferous attack on a Brussels-based freelance journalist, loudly branding the hapless hack “inadequate” in front of dozens of high-rollers.

The lady in question went straight for the jugular, telling anyone who would listen that the reporter “prints lies” in the newspapers he contributes to – the vitriol apparently brought on because her target had failed to check a fact with an MEP before filing a story for a UK tabloid.

“At one point, I thought she was going to chuck her glass of wine over him!” said one witness to the scene.

However, the whole shabby affair finally rebounded on the spin doctor herself.

The aggrieved journalist insisted he had indeed tried to call the MEP several times – on the number the press officer had given him – but had finally been forced to leave a message.

During the explanation the politician in question, who just happened to be standing nearby, turned quickly to his aide. “But that number,” he told her, “has been out of order for over a year, ever since the phone was stolen!”

Whoops.

The name of the newshound? None other than Martin Jay – joint-editor of highly scurrilous (but often amusing) website, The Sprout. And the name of the press officer? Now that would be just too cruel…

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